


Mushrooms and Daisies

by winwinnie



Series: The Forest Speaks [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fae Na Jaemin, Human Huang Renjun, M/M, The rest of the dreamies dont really do much, and Jaemin has questionable motives, renjun is just a smol naive boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 19:11:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16708384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winwinnie/pseuds/winwinnie
Summary: Renjun has five rules to stay safe in the forest, where there are creatures more powerful than he could ever imagine.And he breaks every single one for the pink haired boy.





	Mushrooms and Daisies

_The Fifth is to act without offence_

Renjun drops his bag at the edge of the clearing. The grass is slightly damp from the morning dew, and the water will slowly soak into the bottom of his papers, blurring the blue ink until it's illegible, but he doesn't care.

He's not here to worry about his papers.

He takes his phone out again, taking a few more photos just in case it spontaneously decides to die and everything from his camera roll disappears. He can't be too certain that it won't happen.

And he needs to show others this.

He exits camera and checks his group chat, where he's sent the photo to his friends. There's quite a few replies, but none of them are serious. They can all shrug it off easily, blaming the image on nutrients below the soil, or freak growth.

Nothing too special, they'd say, nothing to worry about.

Renjun, you're going to be late to school, they'd say, stop messing around in the woods and get to class.

He slips his phone back into his pocket and takes a step closer.

In the very centre of the clearing, just where the light touches the ground through the dense forest, is a perfect faery circle.

Dotted with mushrooms and interwoven with tiny daisies, each flower dusted with candy-floss pink.

The grass in the centre looks darker than the rest, a richer green. Slightly more alive than anything else in the forest, despite the birds he's heard chirping as he'd first entered.

It was strangely quiet now.

He hesitantly places one foot in the circle, the tip of his shoe barely brushing the grass.

A tingle of anticipation runs down his spine, and his withdraws it.

No.

He can't do this, especially not alone. It would be foolish, when he doesn't even know what could happen, doesn't even know it was actually a fae that created the circle.

There are other creatures in this woods that he doesn't want to anger.

Creatures that are older than the trees themselves, that wouldn't take lightly to trespassers.

He turns to leave. It's not safe alone, there too many dangerous things that could be watching him

But...

His hand drifts towards his phone, which lights up his pockets with notifications of incoming texts.

He doesn't need to read them to know what they say.

'Photoshop'

'Coincidence'

'Renjun, are you really  _that_ desperate to escape reality?'

He stops a few paces away from his bag, before turning in a rush of adrenaline, plucking a single daisy from the circle. His body moves before his brain can catch up with it, and he stumbles back with what he's done.

The flower stays pinched between his fingers.

He swings his bag over his shoulder, ready to sprint out of the woods to safety. His ears are hyperaware of any sound, anything that could show the approach of whatever woodland creature he's just angered.

Just as he turns to run, there's a hand on his shoulder.

A tall boy stands behind him.

His eyes sparkle despite the shadows they stand in, his hands unsurprisingly cold. His cheeks are dusted in the same colour that stains the daisy, the same colour as his hair, a bright pink that doesn't seem like it came from a box of hair dye.

Renjun sees the boy's eyes flicker to his ears, the multiple iron piercings keeping him wary.

A Fae.

"I believe you took something of mine." He says, and his voice is velvet smooth, deeper than his elfin looks would suggest.

They both look down at the daisy Renjun is holding.

They both make eye contact again.

And Renjun, mind clouded with the haze of fear pushes the boy away, not thinking of any consequences. He runs as the Fae stumbles back, taken by surprise at the sudden insolence of the mortal.

He doesn't look back once, until he's completely out of the forest, the dark trees behind him.

He tries to forget how the plants had twisted as he sprinted past, the leaves becoming darker, how the exit had seemed so much further away on the way back.

But he as soon as he gets home, he puts the daisy in a small jam jar filled with water, watching at the tiny flower leans against the side of the glass.

He watches as each petal falls off, one by one, and tries to forget how surprised, how offended the Fae has seemed.

_The Fourth is to never accept a gift_

It's four months before Renjun returns, his ears sparking with new iron rings and his pockets heavy with salt.

By now, the days are stretching long, pushing the night back and reclaiming the hours. The trees are as dark as ever, but the grass has taken on a yellow tint, signs of dehydration.

The soil is hard under his feet, tiny spider-web cracks through the mud, and light illuminating every tree trunk, every once shaded branch.

Even as the shadows crawl back, he can't quite shake the apprehension from his mind.

But his palms are full of tiny shimmering objects as an apology, to make up for the guilt that's been settling in his stomach every time he sees the daisy stalk.

Bits of torn foil, a new silver coin, plastic multicoloured charms, the button of an old jumper, a blunt shard of a mirror.

Irrelevant things that Renjun hopes the Fae will take as an peace treaty.

He hasn't told his friends about his discovery yet. Every time he goes to speak, the messages declaring him insane run through his mind and he chokes on his words as they come out. He's left with half formed words, stuttered letters and strange looks as they ask him if he's alright.

It doesn't take long to get to the circle, not when he's been thinking about this trip every night for the last few weeks.

But he doesn't quite know what to do next.

He could stand there waiting for the boy to appear all day, and he's too scared to pluck another flower from the soil.

He can only wait, and hope that the Fae doesn't have patience that could stretch for a millennia, that he won't hold a grudge, that he'll be tempted by curiosity and melt out of the darkness to see what's in Renjun's cupped hands.

And he doesn't have to wait long.

The boy is by his side within a minute, peeking at Renjun from around a tree trunk, eyes fixated on the sparkly gifts he holds.

Renjun stretches out his hands towards him. It's a clear sign that he doesn't want trouble, and the Fae seems to understand this.

He walks until he's facing the mortal, and fishes out a small silver bracelet from the pile.

"It's pretty," he says, slipping it onto his wrist and looking at Renjun from wonder half-closed eyelids, "What's it for?"

Renjun gulps. The boy's stare is unsettling, his constant blinking almost deer-like. It makes him look vulnerable, his deadly charm hidden behind the facade of a pretty face.

"An apology gift." He eventually manages to say, gaining confidence with every word he gets out, "For taking a daisy. I wanted to say I was sorry."

The boy's face doesn't change for a few seconds, and Renjun's heart beats statically. His mind is filled of ways that the other could kill him with nothing more than a snap of his fingers.

What if he'd said the wrong thing?

What if he'd accidentally offended him?

What if the Fae was just toying with him?

"Oh." Says the boy, inspecting the metal, "Thank you." He smiles, a bright grin that squeezes Renjun's heart.

He puts the unknown emotion down as fear.

(It's definitely not the boy's smile that also sends butterflies spiralling round in his stomach)

"I've got to give you something back," says the Fae, and he starts to dig around in his pockets, obviously searching for something.

Renjun's mouth opens but he nothing comes out. All he can do is wait.

"Aha!" The boy's grin gets impossible larger, splitting his face in two. He pulls out a bracelet, incredibly similar to the one that Renjun has just given him.

A delicate metal bracelet in a beautiful shade of rose gold.

He pulls Renjun's hand up and slips the bracelet on, turning his wrist to admire the way the light sparkles off of it. "There."

And then, just as suddenly as he'd appeared, he steps into the one spot near them where the sunlight hasn't quite reached, where the grass is still dark and wet from the night, and disappears.

As Renjun leaves the forest this time, the light seems to follow his arm, hitting it at every possible second and casting rainbow-coloured reflections onto the dry grass.

_The Third is to never give thanks in exchange for information_

They sit next to each other by the time the leaves turn yellow and fall off the trees. There's still a sense of awkwardness that won't quite disappear, but each time they meet it grows slightly smaller.

The yellow grass is back to lush green, though hardly noticeable beneath the carpet of dead leaves.

The only part of the grass not covered is the Faerie circle. The mushrooms stand taller than ever and the daisies show no sign of wilting, even as the days grow colder.

Renjun's ears feel lighter than usual, almost cold against the warm air. The tiny iron earrings lie in a pile on his desk, forgotten.

He sits with his back pressed against a tree, pencil scratching on paper as he attempts to sketch the boy. It's the first drawing in his notebook, the one he's kept under his bed for years.

The one dedicated to the supernatural, where he meticulously writes down every slightly strange experience he sees.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" He asks, looking down at the page. They've been sitting for over an hour and drawing isn't even half finished.

Instead, his pencil is covered in teeth marks.

He seems to get more nervous every time he sees the other, every time his cheeks glow a little bit brighter.

(It's definitely the frost that's beginning to creep along the branches of the trees that causes it, just a coincidence that it only seems to happen when the Fae smiles at him)

The boy smiles in return, showing two neat rows of teeth. "I don't mind at all," he says, "Not if I get to see you."

Renjun stares at the paper, trying to hide the smile that's making its way onto his face.

"Besides," the boy continues, "It looks great anyway." He stands up, wriggling his toes.

The leaves that fall around him seem to be brighter than anywhere else, the colours bursting as they pass him.

It makes their death seem so beautiful.

Renjun sighs, standing up as well. The stars are beginning to show in the rapidly darkening sky, the colour quickly fading to an indigo deeper than the sea. "I just can't draw your face right. Nothing seems to be working."

The Fae holds his hand out expectantly, and Renjun passes the notebook to him without query.

A tiny piece of his soul lies between its worn pages.

The boy turns every page with care, as if he knows that.

"Close your eyes," He eventually says, snapping the book closed and slipping it into Renjun's bag, "Picture my face as you draw each line, and don't look until you're done."

And he's gone, slipping into the ever growing darkness like he was never there.

Renjun breathes out his thanks to the cold air, and lets the wind tug at his hair as he stays frozen for a few seconds.

The breeze pulls at his feet, urging him to get him.

There are things in the forest that come out at night that he cannot face, and the Fae's protection won't last through the coldest nights.

He leaves the forest under the protection of dusk, when the sky is the same colour as the Fae's hair.  
  


 

—-  _Interlude —-_

 

_He sits down, quiet as ever, but someone notices his presence before he has a chance to announce himself._

_"What's this?" Asks Donghyuck, grabbing Renjun's wrist and turning it towards him. The bracelet sparkles in the light, even the dim cafeteria not able to hide its charm. "Have you got a secret admirer, Junnie?"_

_Renjun pulls his arm away, his cheeks growing pink. Donghyuck's exclamation as caught the attention of all his friends, and their eyes are now trained on him._

_"I got it from a Fae," he eventually says, and he can feel their disappointment as soon as the words leave his mouth._

_Chenle rolls his eyes, no longer interested in the conversation. He turns back to Jisung, continuing their conversation like Renjun never spoke in the first place._

_From behind Donghyuck, Mark looks just as cynical, "If you don't want to tell us, that's fine," he says, "But you shouldn't have to lie to us."_

_Renjun doesn't reply._

_Within a few seconds, the usual hum of chatter has returned. His words have already been forgotten, all his friends too preoccupied with each other to notice how his face falls. How he spins the bracelet around his wrist absentmindedly, and with every spin was wishes that they'd believe him for once._

 

_————_

 

_The Second is to never accept anything edible from the land of the fae_

The trees are heavy with snow, and he almost walks past the Fae's clearing.

His breath clouds the air, the only sound in the silent world he's found himself in. Each step he takes seems deafening, each step too loud, about to wake up the sleeping winter.

The faery circle just peeks out from the frozen ground.

Each flower glistens with frozen dew, sparkling like tiny diamonds. They almost appear to glow in the cold air, shining with sunlight.

Each mushroom is capped with frost, miniature crystals too delicate to replicate.

The forest is still.

"I brought you a present!" The Fae's hands are on Renjun's shoulders, spinning him round until they're facing each other.

From behind his back, he slowly retrieves something.

A strawberry, perfectly ripe, sitting in the palm of his hand. The bright red seems impossible this late in the year, and the boy handles the fruit as if it were something delicate.

It looks delicious.

"I grew it myself!" Says the boy happily, staring at it with huge eyes, full of wonder.

Renjun mirrors the expression.

He takes the fruit out of his hands. It's so small, and yet it's the most perfect strawberry he's ever seen. Each colour is amplified a thousand times.

Strawberries are his favourite fruit.

The Fae watches him as he places it on his tongue, biting into it. The juice explodes in his mouth, much sweeter than any he's ever tasted before, almost unreal.

It  _is_ delicious.

The boy's eyes don't leave his until he swallows, and then the smile is back on his face, even larger than before.

"Was it nice?" He asks, and Renjun nods. He can't deny it, it's the nicest thing he's ever eaten. His tastebuds yearn for more, already mourning the brief taste.

Around them, the woods shifts.

The snow seems lighter than before, frozen hard beneath his boots. The trees sparkle with a light that he hadn't noticed before, each branch delicate and beautiful, twinkling with tiny diamonds.

"There are more, if you want," says the Fae shyly, and he takes a step back from Renjun, "I can take you to them, if you want."

Renjun nods.

He takes the boy's hand, and nods.

_The First is to never give your name to a fae, for it's a source of power unmatched_

They leave the forest hand in hand, shoulders brushing against each other.

It's a comfortable silence, but it doesn't last long.

"Oh!" Says the Fae, "Before I forget! Can I have your name?"

"Renjun," says Renjun, feeling just a bit lightheaded.

The other boy smiles. His hair seems to glow in a way that it hasn't before, the candy floss colour overpowering. "I'm Jaemin"


End file.
